Overhead sliding door



prifl m, 1936. P. NAYLOR 2mm OVERHEAD SLIDING DOOR Filed Oct. 14, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 14, 1936. P. NAYLOR ZfiEZQgg OVERHEAD SLIDING DOOR Filed Oct. 14, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 99 M Pg. 4-.

Patent ed Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claim.

This invention relates to one-piece doors of the type which slide and swing from a vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal overhead open position, and my object is to provide a door which may be slightly raised before it begins to swing, which, when fully open, is entirely within the building, which involves mainly the use of stock material and which is satisfactorily counterbalanced by weights. A further object is to provide means whereby vertical momentum acquired by the door when it is lifted is changed to horizontal momentum to cause the door to move to its final overhead position without further effort on the part of the operator. A further object is to provide means for mechanically actuating the door to and from its open position.

I attain my objects by means of the constructions hereinafter set forth and which may be briefly described as follows: i

The door frame is provided at each side with a vertical track on which a carriage is slidable. The door is disengageably supported by and is swingable on said carriages. Counterbalances are connected with the carriage to mainly support the weight of the door. At a suitable point overhead horizontal tracks are supported onto which the door may be pushed when sumciently raised, swung to a horizontal position and disengaged from the carriages.

To convert the vertical momentum of the door into a horizontal momentum, I provide an inclined cam surface at each side of the door frame adjacent the upper end of the vertical track engageable by a part carried by the door to bodily 35 'shift the door horizontally and rearwardly as soon as it reaches substantially a horizontal position. The door is mechanically operable by slides movable on the horizontal tracks connected by pivoted links with the door, means being provided operable from one side of the doorway for reciprocating the slides and thus raising and lowering the door.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which 45 Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a door and door mounting constructed in accordance with my invention, the door being shown closed in full lines, in dotted lines in partly open position and in broken lines in horizontal position;

Fig. 2 a rear elevation of one side of the door and door mounting;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively and showing mechanical means for moving the door;

55 Fig. 5 is a detafl in front elevation of a door supporting carriage engaged with a door bracket and hub;

Fig. 6 a detail in side elevation showing a carriage in engagement with the casting connecting the vertical and horizontal tracks on which the 5 door runs and Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on the lines I and 8 in Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diiferent fig- 10 ures.

l is a door which is of the type known in the trade as a one-piece door to distinguish it from doors which are formed in horizontal sections hinged together.

At each side of the door about 2%" below the vertical center of gravity of the door a out about 1 wide is taken extending to the bottom of the door. The door fits between the sides of the door frame 2 which are cut to fit the door, leav- 2o ing a clearance of about between the door, and frame.

Secured to the door frame at each side is a vertical double track 4 provided with lugs 5 screwed to the frame. Each track is of the flanged channel form well known in the art (see Fig. 7). The upper end of the track at each side is connected by a casting 3 with a horizontal track l5, similar to the track 4 and supported from the ceiling by the hangers l6. Each castmg 3 is provided with a flange i0 whereby it is secured to the door frame and has embodied therein a curved track H forming a connecting link between the tracks 4 and i5. A projection I2 is also formed on the casting for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.-

At each side of the door is secured a bracket 6 on which is journalled the track roller 1, positioned just below the vertical center of gravity of the door and adapted to run in the track 4. This roller is provided adjacent the bracket with the hub 23. A bracket 8 is secured to each side of the door adjacent the top which carries a roller 9, which roller, when the door is closed, is positioned in the track 4 but which as the door is opened passes round the track ll into the track l5. While the track I5 is preferably of the double type shown the lower part alone is essential. At each side of the door frame there is provided a carriage l4 which carries a roller I! which runs in the track 4. Each carriage I4 is formed with an approximately horizontal surface 24 adapted to be engaged by the adjacent hub 23 to thus support the door. Each carriage I4 is provided with a lug I8 adapted to engage a rubber cushion IS on the adjacent casting 3 to limit the upward movement of the carriage. Each carriage is also formed with an upwardly extending neck M which is engageable with the side of the projection I2, which thus guides and steadies the carriage when the latter is raised to the top of the track 4.

To the neck l4 of each carriage is secured one end of a cable 20, which cable runs over the pulley or pulleys 2| located as circumstances may require. To the other end of each cable is secured a counterbalancing weight 22. The two weights nearly counterbalance the weight of the door when the latter is vertical and more than counterbalance it when its weight is more or less supported on the horizontal tracks. A length of webbing 34 is attached to the inside of the door and may be used to pull the door down from the open position.

A night latch is attached to the inside of the door and the bolt of the latch is adapted to mesh with a keeper 3| formed as a toothed rack secured to the door frame.

The weather stripping 29 is formed of strap metal secured to the door at each side of its outer face and extending beyond the edge of the cut-away part of the door to overlap the door frame.

For appearance sake the stripping may be extended close to the top of the door leaving enough space to permit of a small vertical lift of the door without the strips contacting with the top of the door frame.

The operation of the door is substantially as follows. To open the door first unlock the night latch and lift the door which goes up straight about three inches. The rollers 9 now hit the curved tracks throwing the top of the door inwards and the bottom outwards. The counterbalancing weights now draw the door quickly upwards till it becomes substantially horizontal. The rollers I now hit the outer curved surfaces of the tracks I I which form, as it were, inclined cam surfaces which serve to change the vertical momentum of the door into horizontal momentum, thus shooting the door horizontally into the building. When the rollers I hit the curved tracks the hubs 23 roll along the horizontal surfaces 24 of the carriages I4 and disengage therefrom, the door then being free of the carriages which have been stopped in their upward movement by contact of the lugs l8 on the carriages with the rubber cushions |9 on the castings Hi. It is obvious, of course, that the door must be supported by the surfaces 24 till the rollers I are engaged with the horizontal tracks l5. To close the door grasp the webbing 34 and pull the door forward till the track rollers hit the curved tracks N then pull downward till the'door is closed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show means whereby the door may be mechanically actuated from a position at one side of the door which is convenient for use with water gates of boat houses and the like.

Connecting links 40 are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the brackets 6- and at their upper ends to the cross rod 4| which is provided at its ends with the rollers 49 running in the horizontal tracks l5. Brace bars 42 are connected to the ends of the rod 4| and at their rear ends are provided with rollers 50 running in the horizontal tracks l5. Secured to the front end of each brace bar 42 is an arm 43 which is bent to bring itsupper end into alinement with a sprocket chain 44 to which it is secured. These chains each run on suitably mounted sprocket wheels 45 and 46. The sprocket wheels 45 are keyed to the shaft 48 so that by rotating the shaft the rod 4| may be actuated back and forth to raise and lower the brackets 6 and thus actuate the door.

The shaft 48 is actuable through the medium of the sprocket wheel 41 secured to one of the sprocket wheels 46 and operable by the depending hand chain 5|.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a door frame provided with a vertical track at each side; a carriage slidable in or on each track; a door; a bracket at each side of the door connected thereto at or about midway between the top and bottom thereof and engageable by the carriages to raise the door; counterbalances connected with the carriages to partly support the weight of the door; a horizontal track at each side of the frame adjacent the upper ends of the vertical tracks; means limiting the upward movement of the carriages to a point at which the brackets of the door may be disengaged from the carriages and engaged with the horizontal tracks; inclined stationary cam surfaces intermediate of the vertical and horizontal tracks; and parts on the aforesaid brackets adapted to engage said cam surfaces to convert vertical momentum of the door into horizontal momentum.

2. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a door frame provided with a vertical track at each side; a carriage slidable in or on each track; a door; a bracket at each side of the door connected thereto at or about midway between the top and bottom thereof and engageable by the carriages to raise the door; counterbalances connected with the carriages to partly support the weight of the door; a horizontal track at each side of the frame adjacent the upper ends of the vertical tracks; means limiting the upward movement of the carriages to a point at which the brackets of the 'door may be disengaged from the carriages and engaged with the horizontal tracks; inclined stationary cam surfaces intermediate of the vertical and horizontal tracks; parts on the aforesaid brackets.

adapted to engage said cam surfaces to convert vertical momentum of the door into horizontal momentum; and track engaging means adjacent the upper end of the door adapted to pass from the vertical to the horizontal tracks to support the said end on the horizontal tracks as the door is raised and tilted.

3. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a door frame; a carriage at each side of the frame mounted to move vertically; a onepiece door disengageably supported by and swingable on said carriages; counterbalances connected with the carriages to partly support the weight of the door; means adapted to receive the door when the latter is raised, swung and pushed in substantially horizontal position from the carriages; stationary inclined cam surfaces at each side; and parts moving with the door engageable with said cam surfaces to convert vertical momentum of the door into horizontal momentum and to disengage the door from the carriages and direct it to the supporting means on which it rests when in substantially horizontal position.

4. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a door frame; a carriage at each side of the frame mounted to move vertically;' a onepiece door disengageably supported by and swingable on said carriages, the point of support of the door being substantially midway between the top and bottom thereof; counterbalances connected with the carriages to partly support the weight of the door; means adapted to receive the door when the latter is raised, swung and pushed in substantially horizontal position from the carriage; inclined cam surfaces at each side; and parts moving with the door engageable with said cam surfaces to convert vertical momentum of the door into horizontal momentum and to disengage the door from the carriages and direct it to the supporting means on which it rests when in substantially horizontal position.

5. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a door frame provided with a double vertical track at each side; a slidable carriage for each track; a door; a bracket at each side of the door connected thereto at or about midway lac-- tween the top and bottom thereof engageable by the carriages to raise the door; counterbalancesconnected withthe carriages to support partly the weight of the door; cam surfaces extending from the upper end of the vertical double track and curving horizontally; a horizontal track at each side of the door frame, each in substantial aiinement with the under of the curved cam surfaces adjacent thereto; a roller on each bracket engaging in the adjacent double vertical track and adapted to move'therefrom between the cam surfaces into engagement with the adjacent horizontal track; means limiting the upward movement of the carriage to a point at which the brackets of the door may be disengaged from the carriages and the rollers aforesaid moved from the vertical tracks to engagement with the horizontal tracks; and track engaging means at each end of the upper end of the door comprising a roller working in or on the vertical and horizontal tracks.

6. A sliding door construction according to claim 3 in which the parts disengaging the door from the carriage are rollers adapted to engage the vertical tracks aforesaid and'engage also the inclined cam surfaces aforesaid and are each provided with a hub, each carriage having a substantially horizontal surface on which the ad- Jacent roller hub rests and from which it is rolled when the roller is pressed against the cam surface aforesaid.

7. A sliding door construction according to claim 1 provided with a slide running on each horizontal track; a link at each side pivotally connected to the vertically moving brackets and horizontally moving slides; and means operable from one side of the doorway for reciprocating the slides on the horizontal tracks.

8. An overhead sliding door construction comprising a. door frame provided with a vertical track at each side; a carriage slidable in or on each track each having a substantially horizontal supporting surface; a door; a bracket at each side of the door connected thereto at or about midway between the top and bottom thereof and engageable by the supporting surfaces of the carriages to raise the door; counterbalances connected with the carriages to partly support the weight of the door; a horizontal track at each side of the frame adjacent the upper ends of the vertical tracks; means. limiting the upward movement of the carriages to a point at which the brackets of the door may be disengaged from the carriages and engaged with the horizontal tracks; inclined stationary cam surfaces intermediate of the vertical and horizontal tracks; and parts on the aforesaid brackets simultaneously engageable with the stationary inclined surfaces and the horizontal inclined surfaces to convert vertical momentum of the door into horizontal movement and slide the brackets. laterally along the horizontal supporting surfaces towards the horizontal tracks.

' PAUL NAYLOR. 

